FSS

Douglas

Douglas

Old School KSUX
Is there somebody manning the FSS stations still?
When we call them up to give PIREPS is there still somebody there, or does it some how send the call down to Lockheed in Texas?


I was thinking about just asking him if he was actually in Fort Dodge, but I figured you guys would have an answer.
 
Douglas said:
Is there somebody manning the FSS stations still?
When we call them up to give PIREPS is there still somebody there, or does it some how send the call down to Lockheed in Texas?


I was thinking about just asking him if he was actually in Fort Dodge, but I figured you guys would have an answer.
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The AFSSs still have people there. There's just fewer of them around. For example, PRC AFSS covers all of AZ. Time was when I started out, you had an FSS at PRC, PHX, TUS, and DUG in AZ.

The machines haven't taken over just yet.......
 
At Gainesville we used to have a flight service on the field until August of 2007. It also provided a terribly inconsistent and annoying airport advisory service while the tower was/is closed. Now we have a remote airport advisory service with a FSS specialist that sits in an arm chair in Leesburg, VA. This same person mans all the FSS frequencies in our area (at night anyway) and I have noticed on occasion that he/she also provides the same airport advisory service when we land/takeoff at PIE in the middle of the night.
 
MikeD said:
The AFSSs still have people there. There's just fewer of them around. For example, PRC AFSS covers all of AZ. Time was when I started out, you had an FSS at PRC, PHX, TUS, and DUG in AZ.

The machines haven't taken over just yet.......
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That is cool.
Nothing against AFSS, but there was something about FSS that I liked better.
AFSS has gotten a lot better, I used to have a lot against them.

Four flight service stations in one state, eh? I'm a guy from the sticks. We get one FSS per state. Same goes for the FSDOs.
When I moved to NC, I was caught unaware that some states have more than one FSDO per state. Looks like the same deal with FSS.
 
Douglas said:
That is cool.
Nothing against AFSS, but there was something about FSS that I liked better.
AFSS has gotten a lot better, I used to have a lot against them.

Four flight service stations in one state, eh? I'm a guy from the sticks. We get one FSS per state. Same goes for the FSDOs.
When I moved to NC, I was caught unaware that some states have more than one FSDO per state. Looks like the same deal with FSS.
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Yeah, back in the day, I can still remember the 12/24 hr Progs, Radar Summary, and winds aloft charts being printed over the teletype. The FSS guy would tear it off, mark it up with various colored markers, then tack it to the wall over the last ones. You'd check it against the ones tacked behind it in order to see the trends vs time of wx systems.

Back in the day. LOL.
 
Our AFSS @ HUF is just a vacant building now. I believe all "terre haute radio" transactions go through the central Lockheed facility.
 
So how long before they move it all to Bangladesh?
Allo dis is Abdar at Fort Worth flight service what can I do for you?
 
Roger said:
So how long before they move it all to Bangladesh?
Allo dis is Abdar at Fort Worth flight service what can I do for you?
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Probably not too far down the road.... Lansing has been pretty consistent on the radio. Everyone once in a while the 1-800-WX-Brief goes to Hawaii instead of Michigan, but oh well!

RD
 
jdlilfan said:
Our AFSS @ HUF is just a vacant building now. I believe all "terre haute radio" transactions go through the central Lockheed facility.
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Check out this link:
http://www.atchistory.org/History/FacilityPhotos/FSS_Dir/CurrentFSS_Directory.htm

It's kinda sad how many former facilities are gone now.

Your call to FSS usually gets routed to whoever is available. If (in this case jd is in Indiana) nobody is available at Kankakee (Chicago area, IL), it might go to Lansing (MI), and then finally Washington, DC. You just never know who might pick up the phone next. At least they're getting better at SOMEONE picking up the phone...

This also allows them to close the 'outstations' (like Kankakee) at night, so you have a better chance at getting somebody at the 'hubs' in DC or Prescott at night than someone closer to you.

The FAA has a phone number if you're having trouble getting hold of FSS, I think it's 888-FLT-SRVC (don't quote me on that). Or you can try this website: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...ato/service_units/systemops/fs/key_officials/
, so far they've been good about getting back to me.
 
MikeD said:
Yeah, back in the day, I can still remember the 12/24 hr Progs, Radar Summary, and winds aloft charts being printed over the teletype. The FSS guy would tear it off, mark it up with various colored markers, then tack it to the wall over the last ones. You'd check it against the ones tacked behind it in order to see the trends vs time of wx systems.

Back in the day. LOL.
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Do you remember DF steers? I called Flight Service a few months back to see if I could get one for my student and the FSS said all the DF equipment had been decommissioned.
 
Old Pete said:
Do you remember DF steers? I called Flight Service a few months back to see if I could get one for my student and the FSS said all the DF equipment had been decommissioned.
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Yeah. You could call up for a "practice DF steer" :D (never admit you really need one LOL). But yes, they couldn't give you range, but a bearing on a voice count.....was interesting to do. Didn't know they were gone now.......learn something new all the time!
 
I waited for what seemed like 10 minutes just to get a reply from my first call to Prescott FSS last night. Their only reprieve was that the girl on the other end sounded HOT!!!
 
tykrtr said:
Your call to FSS usually gets routed to whoever is available.
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"Michigan,"
FSS Bot "I'm sorry, I did not understand you, did you say Hawaii?"
Me "No,"
Bot "Please say your state, you can say Tex-"
Me "MIIIICCCHHHHIIIGAAAANNNNN"
Bot "Please hold while I connect you with a flight briefer"
FSS "Thanks for calling Flight Service, this is Bob in Hawaii, how may I help you?"
:bandit:

Then I ask for a flight briefing and although they're supposed to all be able to give you a briefing for anywhere in the country, I still got the "Let me transfer you to your area *cue elevator FSS music*"

RD
 
Roger said:
So how long before they move it all to Bangladesh?
Allo dis is Abdar at Fort Worth flight service what can I do for you?
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Don't laugh. When I was deployed to Southwest Asia all our weather forecasting was done by... Shaw Air Force Base (in South Carolina)??? We had civilian forecasters at the airfields, but they could not give us official forecasts. They could give us unofficial "this is what we really think will happen based upon our having been here for the last 2 years", but nothing official. It led to a few frustrating scenarios of either us getting reports of bad WX which the civilians knew were not the case yet would still cause us to cancel as WX was reported below minimums, or visa versa- running into sand storms when WX reports were CAVU.
 
MikeD said:
Yeah, back in the day, I can still remember the 12/24 hr Progs, Radar Summary, and winds aloft charts being printed over the teletype. The FSS guy would tear it off, mark it up with various colored markers, then tack it to the wall over the last ones. You'd check it against the ones tacked behind it in order to see the trends vs time of wx systems.

Back in the day. LOL.
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These are still on the PTS so I make my students learn how to read them. But then, I am a mean man as they always tell me.
 
Blackhawk said:
These are still on the PTS so I make my students learn how to read them. But then, I am a mean man as they always tell me.
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Just about every practice exam I tool for the Private written has questions about them. My CFI didn't explain them to me...had to teach myself!

RD
 
rd757 said:
Just about every practice exam I tool for the Private written has questions about them. My CFI didn't explain them to me...had to teach myself!

RD
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Another reason I have them print them out each lesson. Why not learn it before the written?
 
Blackhawk said:
Another reason I have them print them out each lesson. Why not learn it before the written?
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I don't even know where to begin about my CFI... I'm almost done with my private, and I'm done with him. I discovered these issues too late, and to switch now, would be monetarily inefficient.

RD
 
rd757 said:
I don't even know where to begin about my CFI... I'm almost done with my private, and I'm done with him. I discovered these issues too late to switch, would be monetarily inefficient.

RD
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That's too bad.
One of the common things I see with some CFIs is to treat the written as a seperate item apart from the learning that goes on day to day. Same with the oral. The written really should be a check on the learning you have done and should entail little studying.
Now, having written this, I admit there are some archaic questions on the written. Also, some of the flight planning questions can result in different answers depending on where you round your numbers and to what extent. So with some questions it is better to just memorize the answer, then go back and check the question after going through the test.
 
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